


Lost in the Forest of Pines

by FanOfAlmostEverything



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: AU, Bad Dreams, BillDip, Blood, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Fluff, Other, aged down Bill, falling, not romanticized
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-13
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-22 18:37:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3739171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanOfAlmostEverything/pseuds/FanOfAlmostEverything
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper feels left out. His sister has made new friends and he has no one in his age group in Gravity Falls to make friends with. His loneliness leads to a night of wandering in the woods and an encounter with some strange entity that saves his life. But is there ever such a thing as a favor with no consequences?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Jack and Jill Fell Down the Hill - Little Dipper Came Tumbling After

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was initially written 3 years ago and it featured a ship I am not comfortable with because of the age gap. However, instead of abandoning the fic, I decided to re-write it. I've gotten better at writing in the last three years and I don't want my writing, even if it's old writing, reflecting a very unhealthy relationship with an uncomfortable age gap. I plan on revising this so Bill is aged down, but I'm also emphasizing and making it very clear that the relationship between Bill and Dipper is not romantic and it's not a healthy dynamic. Stories need conflict, but I want it to be clear that it's very manipulative on Bill's end. I plan on having Dipper's family help him out in the end.

. . . .

_Jack and Jill Fell Down The Hill ; Little Dipper came Tumbling After_

. . . . . .

Dipper frowned up at the attic. He sat outside the mystery shack, his rear planted firmly on the hard packed earth. He picked the pine needles out of his palm and pouted. He hated this. He hated that Mabel was constantly having her friends over. No, he shouldn’t think that. He was glad she had made friends, he just hated how constant the sleepovers were, with the abundance obnoxious giggling, shrieking and whispering. It was disruptive and it made him feel like they were talking about him, just like everyone else did. He could almost feel the judgment pass through their gazes, the laughter directed at him through the lip gloss and blush. He felt betrayed, not to mention lonely! He was sick of it. On top of it all, with all the girls in the house there was nowhere to get enough peace and quiet to read or study the journal or even sleep! Weeks of this had lead Dipper to his current situation. His new bed would be the ground beneath the mystery shack, and the sky would act as his blanket.

Dipper crossed his arms in defiance and gave a firm nod as if to say to himself, “Yes. This is the way it must be.” With that he lay back, gazing at the starry expanse above him. His eyes trailed across the glittering lights and lingered on the constellation that matched his birthmark. “It’s amazing how much clearer the sky is here than at home.” He mused. He rubbed his forehead absently and turned to get his sisters opinion only to stop short. Right. She had her own friends. And he had… the sky, rocks and trees and a keen sense of betrayal. Dipper bit his lip, fighting back the tears threatening to spill over his cheeks. He wasn’t going to cry over this. Real men didn’t cry, and with his luck, Grunkle Stan would appear outside right as the first tear fell. Just in time to mock him.

The boy curled up on his side and hugged himself, shivering slightly. He told himself he was doing so for warmth, but it was just as much for a small sense of comfort. Logic told him to go inside at least to just grab a blanket, but there was no way he was doing that. That was a metaphorical death sentence. He would have lost this non-existent stalemate if he gave in and stepped foot back into the warzone where he was unwelcome. Dipper sat up with a huff. For all his tossing and turning, he was unable to find a comfortable way to sleep. Maybe he’d just walk through the woods for a bit until he was exhausted enough to sleep on the ground.

“Yes,” he thought to himself, “ That seems reasonable. Even if I don’t have shoes.”

Dipper glanced up at the light in the attic window one more time before he took off into the forest at a sad, slow pace. He slipped his socks off of his feet after a few steps. He realized the socks were picking up pine needles and could cause a slipping hazard if he stepped on any rocks. He wiggles his newly freed toes and stepped cautiously across the twigs leaves and rocks littering the forest floor, allowing the sensation to ground him. After a while of wandering he sat down on a tree stump and shouted all the swear words he knew.

“Shit! God Damnit! Son of a Bitch!” surprisingly it made him feel better.

Only a few seconds later he regretted being so loud. A twig snapped suddenly, and a growl resounded through the woods. Dipper stiffened and turned toward the sound, repeating the swear words under his breath. He scooted back from the stump and shuffled into his feet, trying to get away from the sound as quickly as possible while avoiding turning his back on it. . He yelped as his heel came in contact with a sharp rock, sending him toppling backwards through a bush and down a small hill.

A pair of glowing eyes peered down at the boy through the bushes, lending a face to the ominous growls. Dipper jumped back to his feet in a panic, adrenaline pumping through his veins, making him forget about the scrapes on his arms and legs and the lack of shoes. He turned tail and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He couldn’t see anything in front of him, but that didn’t stop him. Branches tore at his clothes and face. Every footfall brought a sharp pain racing up his legs, but he could hear the beast right behind him. He could feel its breath on the back of his neck. Dipper took a sharp turn in the hopes that he could lose whatever was chasing him. He backpedaled as he noticed the path led to a drop off much steeper than the hill he had previously tumbled down. The loose dirt caused him to slide forward farther than he would have liked, but he managed to come to a stop before careening off the edge. He hesitated, not sure about his next plan of action.

_Kid, what are you stopping for? MOVE!_

Dipper paused to look around. What was that voice.. was that in his head?? A sudden shove against his back sent him tumbling down the ravine. He yelped and tried to stop himself to no avail. He cried out as he struck his head against a rock or stump or.. something. He finally came to a stop at the bottom of the ravine. Looking up, he saw the glowing eyes turn and leave before he lost consciousness

. . . . . . .

The demon gazed down at the now unconscious child from his perch on the tree above. He had been watching the Pines Family for a while and this one.. Pine Tree.. he was interesting. The kid noticed things. He managed to find one of the Journals of all things and instead of turning tail and running from it like any sane human, Pine Tree went looking for the trouble listed in the books. Bill didn’t know why he had decided to save this kid, but hey, he was always one to act out on his whims. Maybe the kid would prove to be useful later on. After all, the Pines family was as full of mystery as the rest of Gravity Falls

. . . . . . .

Stanford Pines had had a long night. Sure he had made a decent amount of money with the tours today, but he had not anticipated the sleepless nights that would come with housing a 12 year old girl and friends under his roof. He was lucky to get to sleep before midnight. Which is why Stanford Pines grumbled as he rolled out of his bed. He had just settled down, but the insistent knocking on the door rang through the house again, causing the old man to swear under his breath.

“Yeah, I’m coming” he shouted. “I swear, if its the damn IRS again…”

The wooden door was yanked open revealing… no one. Seriously? Pranksters this time of night? Stan understood a good prank but this was poor in his book— Stanford stopped mid thought as he looked down. His great nephew was lying on the porch. His stomachs dropped and worry shot through Stan’s heart as he spotted the dark substance against the boy’s temple and the scratches across his arms and legs. He crouched next to the boy and shakily brushed his fingers against the blood against his head. It was completely dry. He gently scraped at some of the blood with his fingernail and it flaked away. Stan took a moment to look the child over and found no injuries. He sat back on his heels for a moment, puzzled. He shook himself from his stupor and patted Dipper’s face.

“Dipper” he whispered harshly.

Dipper’s face scrunched up in mild annoyance and discomfort and rolled over. Stan sighed in relief and scooped the kid up, groaning at the strain it put on his back.

“I’m getting too old for this.” He grumbled. He walked his nephew into the Mystery Shack and set him down on the couch with an oof. He straightened and stretched his back before easing himself into a chair. He sighed and looked at his still unconscious nephew.

“Jesus kid. You’re gonna be the death of me.” He had no clue why his nephew had arrived unconscious and covered in blood on his doorstep. He did know that it had scared the hell out of him. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew that strange things happened in Gravity Falls. He could put together that Dipper had gotten himself hurt somehow and something powerful had helped him. He just didn’t know whether or not to worry about it. As a con man, he knew that nothing came free, and if something seemed too good to be true it usually was. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He supposed that all he could do was keep a closer eye on the twins. Dipper was being protected by something, as opposed to hunted. There wasn’t a need for immediate concern. Stan pushed himself to his feet and rested his hand on Dipper’s head briefly before heading to bed, trying to push the bad feeling out of his head. Dipper and Mabel were safe. That was all that mattered now. The sense of impending doom was nothing to worry about. Nothing at all

. . . . . . .

Dipper woke up to the voices of his sister and her friends chattering energetically. The voices came from the kitchen and seemed to reverberate through the building. He groaned and stretched, sitting up and rubbing his head. He could hear Mabel skipping into the room holding what he could only assume was Mabel Juice, judging by the sloshing-clinking of liquid and plastic dinosaurs against glass.

“Wake up sleepy head! I know you felt left out last night so I made you a special helping of-“ Dipper jumped suddenly at a loud gasp and the shattering of glass.

“Dipper!” Mabel shouted. His twin rushed over, her thumb brushing over one of the many blood streaks. “You’re covered in blood! What happened, are you ok?”

Dipper blinked, mildly confused. Blood? Why was he covered in…. The memories of the night before came flooding back to him -walking in the woods, running from some unknown beast - falling. He threw the blanket off of his legs and looked at the streaks of red, surprised by the lack of pain. He rubbed at one of the lines and was amazed to see uninjured skin underneath.

“What. . .” He wondered aloud. The last thing he remembered had been tumbling down a ravine, with scrapes, bumps and bruises riddling his body, not to mention the head injury he should have had. How had he made it back to the shack and why was there not a scratch on him? He glanced up at familiar green eyes that gazed at him with concern.

“I’m fine Mabel.” He said, looking confused.

A shout cam from the other room. “Mabel! Candy and I won’t keep these pancakes here forever!”

Mabel looked toward the kitchen in mild frustration. “Shoot. I still have to clean up that glass too.” she mumbled. “I’ll be there in a second!” She shouted back. She shot a glance at her brother and gave him her best stern big sister look. “We are talking about this later Mister! I’ll be right back. I can’t lose those pancakes.”

Dipper watched his sister scurry off and leap neatly over the broken cup and puddle of glitter and slide into the kitchen. He stared down at his arms streaked in his own blood, not sure what to think of it

. . . . . . .

_When the Bough Breaks, The Child Will Fall, And Down Will Come Dipper, Nightmares and All_

. . . . . .

Dipper climbed out of the shower, still mystified at the lack of scrapes on his skin. He quickly put on his shorts and tugged a shirt over his head before he padded into his room, treading carefully as to avoid splinters. He peered through the doorway and noticed the significant lack of sleeping bags and came to the much relieved conclusion that Candy and Grenda went home. He turned back toward his bed and nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden feeling of hands poking his sides.

“Boo!”

“AHHH! Mabel you can’t do that!” He complained, clutching his arms around his belly. Mabel giggled.

“You should have seen your face! You jumped nearly five feet in the air and your voice? You sounded like a girl” She teased, her eyes sparkling with laughter. Dipper’s face flushed in embarrassment.

“I did not.” He protested, unfortunately sounding more whiny than dignified. Mabel gave her brother a comforting ruffle of his still damp hair and grinned at him.

“It’s alright Bro Bro. It just adds to your Kitten like nature.” She laughed again at the sudden look of utter disgust that washed over Dipper.

Mabel faced her brother and placed her hands on his shoulders, her expression suddenly somber. “Ok, but seriously Bro Bro. What happened last night? Why were you covered in red streaks of like.. hopefully jam? Maybe it was Mabel juice?” She worried her hands in her sweater, knowing very well that it was blood. Her eyes scanned Dipper’s bare arms and legs and noticed with relief that there weren’t any scratches or bandages. Maybe it really was just a mystery red substance?

Dipper hesitated. He and Mabel had never kept any secrets from each other… but - he couldn’t get the sense of betrayal out of his mind. Ever since Mabel had become friends with Grenda and Candy he felt left out. He couldn’t get their laughter out of his head -or the feeling that they were laughing at him. Dipper bit his lip and did the one thing he thought he never would. He lied to his twin.

“You know, I took a walk in the woods and actually fell into a bush with really ripe berries all over it. Then by the time I got back to the Shack I was too tired to take a shower and wash the berry juice off.” He said with a shrug and nervous smile.

Mabel simply guffawed and placed a playful punch on Dipper’s arm.

“Dipping Dots, you are way too into that book. You gotta take a break from all that monster hunting every once in a while. Maybe try and make some friends!”

Dipper felt another shot of jealousy and sadness through his core. First she abandoned him, then she rubbed the fact he had no friends. She knew he had a hard time talking to people. Dipper forced a smile and laugh and excused himself from the room.

“Well I already had plans for today. Gonna go do some more of that monster hunting you’re telling me not to.” He pointed finger guns at his sister and hurried out of the room

. . . . . . .

Dipper crammed his shoes on his feet and walked brusquely away from the shack. He knew that if he stuck around too close Stan would rope him into some menial task and he couldn’t handle that right now. He just wanted to be alone- because as lonely as he felt, he felt being around his family wouldn’t help at all.

Dipper paused and gazed at the trees towering above him. They looked so damn peaceful, just minding their own business and swaying in the breeze. Dipper secured his hat on his head and ducked under a branch to move furthur into the forest, ducking around trunks and under branches until he found a tree that would work. He placed his hand on the rough bark and looked up at the tree. He found a foothold and started climbing.

Once Dipper reached a comfortable height he nestled himself against the branches and leaned against the trunk of the tree. As much as he loved looking for paranormal beasts, he wasn’t up for it now. He figured he’d be safe up here. If he remembered the Journal correctly, any creatures who could actually cause him harm wouldn’t really hang around the treetops.

Dipper rested his head against the rough bark, breathing in the scent of pine. He gazed out at the forest, just taking in the sounds of birds and breeze and the babbling of a nearby stream. Before he knew it, the forest was soothing him into a lull and his eyes were drooping, sending him slipping into the world of dreams

. . . . . . .

Dipper stood in the middle of the forest. He was lost and something felt wrong. The colors around him seemed muted and the hair on the back of his neck stood up as if he was being watched. He stiffened and a shiver ran down his spine. He turned around, scanning the trees around him.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

His voice echoed for a few moments, seeming to mock him. The reverberation died down and silence stretched across the woods, almost deafening. Not even the birds could be heard, and the wind seemed to be at a standstill. It was too quiet to be comfortable. Dipper could hear his heart beating in his ears, accelerating with a growing sense of unease and panic.

Dipper’s breathing hitched and he broke into a run. He had to get away from this sense of dread that was overtaking him. There was something wrong with this place and he had to get away. He didn’t care where, just away.

The choice between fight or flight only worked when you could see what you were up against. The funny thing about fight or flight instinct - is that it is in fact instinct. It makes a rational person become animalistic. It reveals the very basis of what they were meant to be- the predator or the prey.

Dipper cried out in panic as his feet began to sink into the ground. The echo threw his cry back at him, letting him know just how afraid he sounded. He fought against the earth that clung to his shoes and crawled up his legs and held him in place, but he fought to no avail. He couldn’t move. He was going to die here.

“Help! Someone please!” Dipper sobbed clawing at the ground intent on swallowing him whole. The echo mocked him once more before it cut off abruptly. Suddenly someone appeared in front of him. A hand was extended and Dipper reached out for it, tears streaming down his face. The hand held securely to his and gave a hard yank

. . . . . . .

Dipper jerked awake with a gasp and fell forward. He yelped as he found himself tumbling from the tree. Tree branches and pine needles reached for him and grasped at his clothes and hair as he fell the short distance to the forest floor below. He hit the ground with a thud, knocking the wind out of him. He let out a wheezy whimper of pain and struggled to pull air into his lungs.

He suddenly felt gentle hands tugging at his arm and helping him sit up.

“Woah there kid. You alright? You fell from quite a height.”

Dipper nodded and wheezed, blinking the tears away from his vision. He wrapped an arm around his ribs and lifted his head.He looked up at boy in front of him, his eyes still watering.

The boy grinned at Dipper, his one visible eye twinkling with glee. His iris was a honey color, almost looking gold. It seemed to pop against his brown skin. A mop of blonde hair covered his left eye. Dipper noted that he looked about his own age, maybe only a year older.

“You gonna quit staring Pine Tree?” The kid asked, holding a hand out to help Dipper to his feet. Dipper blinked, and turned to cough, his chest still protesting its earlier treatment. He blushed at the comment and muttered an apology. The other boy let out a peal of ringing laughter and pulled Dipper to his feet.

“Hey, I’m just trying to see if you’re ok, Pine Tree. Don’t want you to have a concussion or something.”

Dipper stared blankly up at him for a moment, still dazed. He had the strangest feeling that he knew this kid, even though he had never seen him before.

“Pine Tree? Do I need to escort you to a hospital or something? You keep zoning out” The kid got uncomfortably close to Dipper and used his hand to brush Dipper’s hair back as if to check for a fever, his expression riddled with concern.

Dipper felt a shiver run through him and shook himself out of his reverie, pushing the kid’s hand away and fighting back the blush that colored his cheeks.

“I- Why do you keep calling me that? “

“Well, for one you fell out of a pine tree, and … “ The kid gestured to the logo on Dipper’s hat, now resting in his hand, and smirked. “Seemed to fit you better than ‘hey you’.”

Dipper frowned. “Well I do have a name you know.” The kid gave a chuckle and ruffled Dipper’s hair before setting the hat back on his head. “I guess I shouldn’t worry about a head injury if you’re this sassy” he teased. “And are you gonna let me know your name, kid?”

Dipper hesitated and scrunched up his nose, deciding to be offended.

“Why do you keep calling me kid? You’re like, my age!” He snapped, noting with a bit of jealousy that he was about a head taller than Dipper.

The other boy grinned and elected to avoid the question. “How about a deal? You tell me your name and I’ll tell you mine?”he suggested. He reached out his hand and Dipper hesitantly accepted it. A thrill ran up his arm and Dipper felt woozy. He attributed it to his fall.

“Uhm. Dipper. My name’s Dipper.”

The boy grinned. “William.”


	2. Don't Be Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper makes an unwitting deal and gets lost in the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is still alive. I'm doing a lot of revising, but I've decided that once I've changed it to my liking this fic can continue to exist and I can probably continue with it. Comments are appreciated. I hope for those of you still following, the changes don't turn you off of the fic too much.

. . . .  
Don’t Be Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf  
. . . . . .

Bill smiled at the Dipper’s ceaseless chattering. He had managed to convince him to accompany him to his “parent’s” house in order to patch him up with some bandaids. It had taken a little while to get him to open up, but once he had, the kid couldn’t stop talking about the mysteries of the town that he had come across and his frustration with his family. Of course Bill’s subtle subliminal suggestions of trust that he planted in the kid’s dreams helped a lot. 

Bill secured the last bandaid on his pine tree’s forehead and gave it a small pat. “You’re all set Pine Tree.” 

Dipper stopped his rambling and looked Will over. “Why were you in the woods anyway? I mean, I know you said you just recently moved in, but no one goes hiking in that kind of clothes. No one goes anywhere wearing that kind of getup. Are your parents Circus owners or something?” 

Bill looked down at his clothes. They weren’t all that strange in his opinion. He looked better than half of the meat sacks out there. A black silken vest and a yellow button up lay perfectly creased against his chest. He reached up and straightened his bow tie and brushed imaginary dust off of his black slacks and effected a pout. 

“I just have more style than most people. And if you must know why I was in the woods, “ he paused and gave a small shrug. “I lost my cat and was looking for it.” He lied smoothly. 

“Yeah? What kind of cat?” Dipper tilted his head in interest. This was generally more of Mabel’s territory, but Will did help him. He felt like he owed him. And this was the first boy his age he had seen in Gravity Falls. If Mabel could make friends, he could too. 

Will frowned. He hadn’t planned this much detail for one lie. “A one eyed tabby.” 

Dipper sat forward from his spot on the counter and bit his lip thoughtfully. “Maybe I can help you find it? I mean it’s the least I could do. I’d be pretty screwed if you hadn’t found me.”

Bill smiled softly, internally squirming with glee. He hadn’t expected an offer for help. Shooting Star was the one with a love for animals. This however was good news. It just gave Bill more leverage against the Pines family.

Bill pretended to consider it. 

“Alright Pine Tree. Let’s make a deal. You help me find my cat, and if we can’t find it, you help me get a new friend?”

Will’s phrasing confused Dipper. He knew pets tended to be lifelong companions but he had rarely heard them referred to as friends. Dipper decided to leave it be and rolled his eyes at the name. 

“I gave you my name already- It’s Dipper, not Pine Tree. But alright. It’s a deal” 

Bill grinned and stuck out his hand and Dipper reached out to clasp it. He shivered the moment their palms touched as he felt some surge of electricity travel up his arm. He could have sworn he saw blue flames engulfing their hands, but he passed that off as his possible concussion. 

Bill retracted his hand and smoothed out his vest, feeling quite smug at this stroke of luck. 

Dipper shuffled his feet, suddenly feeling awkward. He felt like he had to impress Will now. He had offered his help and he really wanted to make at least one friend. If he screwed this up he would lose that chance and be stuck watching his sister and her friends laughing at him. 

“Are we gonna go find it now then? I mean there’s a lot of dangerous things in the woods that could attack your cat…” Dipper said, waiting for Will to make a move toward the door. 

Bill smiled and gave a slight nod. 

“I mean, only if you’re feeling up to it. “ Dipper backpedaled, not wanting to scare his potential friend away with his eagerness. 

“You seem to know these woods better than I do, Pine Tree. Lead the way.”

. . . . . .

Dipper paused at the edge of the woods, realizing a major issue in his plan to rescue Will’s cat.

“Will, you never told me your cat’s name.” He pointed out, frowning at the taller boy. “How are we supposed to find it if I don’t even know what name to call.”

Bill shrugged nonchalantly. “Cat’s don’t respond to their name anyway. And besides, I just barely got it. Didn’t have a chance to name it yet.” 

Dipper frowned. “How are we gonna find the cat then, if it doesn’t even know you well enough to trust you?” He thought for a while. Where would cats generally hang out? Trees? 

This was not his playing field in any way. Sure he liked mystery, but he didn’t understand pets at all. Mabel was the one who liked animals and stuff.

“I dunno Pine tree. I thought you were the man with a plan. I’m sure you’ll think of something once we’re in the forest.” Bill said. Dipper frowned. He supposed he could ask Mabel for help if he really needed it, but Will was relying on him. Right now he was already at the edge of the forest where Will had said the cat disappeared. Bill seemed to sense Dipper’s hesitation and spoke.   
“If you’re too scared, I won’t make you help me.” He said, his voice sing song and mocking. That decided it.Dipper squared his shoulders and headed into the forest.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, Dipper immediately getting carried away in the sounds of the forest. Twigs crunched beneath his shoes and Dipper could hear a woodpecker somewhere. He thought he could hear a stream trickling in the distance and the breeze made the trees sway in a way that made it seem like they were whispering to each other. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the complete lack of sound that Bill made.

“So- you got a plan yet Pine Tree?” Bill asked after a few minutes of walking breaking the relative silence. 

Dipper jumped and let out a yelp. Bill raised an eyebrow, bemused. 

“Did something startle you kid?” 

Dipper clutched his chest, glaring Will. 

“Yeah, you did! I forgot you were there!”

Bill clicked his tongue and booped the kid’s nose. 

“Did you forget our deal too, kid?” He asked with a grin.   
Dipper flushed and stepped back, rubbing at his nose as if Bill had touched it with something vile. 

“No..” he squeaked. “I just got carried away in my own thoughts. Doesn’t that happen to everyone?” He mumbled defensively.

Bill laughed aloud and flipped the bill of Dipper’s hat, knocking it off of his head. Dipper scrambled for his hat and crammed it back onto his head, his cheeks rosy more from embarrassment than the cool breeze kissing his face. 

“Hey, don’t fret it kid. Let’s just do what we came here for.” He grinned, gently patting the kid’s cheek. 

Dipper nodded and averted his eyes, wondering why Will seemed to have such issues with personal space. 

. . . . .

Dipper lead Will around in circles through the forest for several hours- stubbornly deciding that he could find the cat, even once the sky got dark. They had been walking for a while and Dipper was starting to stumble. Bill suspected it was more from exhaustion than low visibility. Bill put a hand on Dipper’s shoulder. 

“Pine Tree, We can stop looking now, it’s getting dark. The cat’s probably gone now anyway.”  
Dipper mumbled in protest and continued to stumble forward sleepily. Bill sighed and grabbed hold of the kid’s shoulders, turning him around to face him. Dipper blinked at Bill and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. 

 

“Come on kid, let’s get you back to the Mystery Shack. You’re exhausted.”

“No we gotta find the cat.” Dipper mumbled. “Gotta find the cat so you’ll be my friend.” 

Bill barked out a laugh. Dipper was playing right into his hands. 

“Listen kid-”

 

“I’m old as you!”

“Ok, Listen Pine Tree,”

 

“M’names Dipper!” 

Bill shook his head in disbelief. “Yeesh! You sure are ornery when you’re tired.” He took a breath and tried again. “OK, Dipper. You’re gonna pass out if we don’t go back. Just… let me give you a piggy back ride. I’ll find us a way out of here.” 

Dipper looked very unsure, but finally nodded in agreement. Will turned his back toward him and Dipper wrapped his arms around Will’s shoulders. He gave a little leap, and Will wrapped his arms around Dipper’s knees. Despite the fact that he was only an inch or so taller, he had no issue carrying the boy. Dipper was too tired to notice. Only a few steps into their walk and Dipper was passed out on Will’s back. 

. . . . . .   
And He Sent Him To Bed Without Supper  
. . . . . .

Stanley Pines sat in his worn armchair, staring blankly at the tv. The television wasn’t turned on, but it didn’t matter much. Stan wasn’t there to watch television. Dipper had been missing since the previous day and Stan hadn’t slept a wink. Mabel lay on the couch next to him, fast asleep. She had tried to stay up with him to keep an eye out for her brother, but she hadn’t lasted that long. Stan reached over and pulled the blanket more securely over his niece and smiled softly. He would probably call the police soon. But he was still holding onto that hope that he had just gotten carried away reading or something. He clenched jaw and glanced out the window again for some sign of his nephew before he gave up and picked up the phone. 

. . . . . .

The forest fairly sang with the sounds of life as the first rays of sunshine pierced through the tree branches. Splotches of sunshine dappled Dipper’s skin and the breeze caused his curls to tickle his face. Dipper wrinkled his nose and opened his eyes. He stared sleepily up at the trees before realizing where he was and sitting up abruptly, eyes wide. Will’s arm slid off of its initial place around Dipper’s middle. As the arm hit the ground, Will stirred as well and sat up at a much more leisure pace, taking the time to stretch and yawn. Dipper shot to his feet and whirled around. 

“Shit. We’re still in the woods.”Dipper noted. 

“That we are, Pine Tree.” 

“And it’s morning!” 

“That it is Pine Tree.” Will picked a couple of pine needles out of his hair and scooted back so he was sitting against a tree and watched in amusement as Dipper paced around the space in a panic. 

The form Bill had taken had surprisingly taken a lot more energy than he expected to maintain. About halfway through his trek his body had gotten exhausted so he had to stop walking in order to take a nap. Pine tree had still been passed out so he had just set the kid down while he recharged the meat suit. 

“Are we still lost? We haven’t found your cat yet! Oh god, Grunkle Stan is gonna kill me!” Dipper ranted, jumping quickly from subject to subject. 

“Pine Tree, calm down.” Will said, pushing himself to his feet. 

“How can I calm down?! We’re lost and I’m hungry, and my family is going to kill me if I don’t die first.” He bemoaned, tears starting to prick his eyes. 

Will rolled his eyes and clapped his hand onto Dipper’s shoulder and spun him around so they were face to face. 

“Dipper, calm down. I know exactly where we are.”

“You do?” He asked, taken aback by the use of his preferred name.

“Yes!” The blonde replied, rolling his eyes. He slung an arm around Dipper’s shoulders and walked him to a tree. He pointed past the tree line. Through the clearing he could see the Mystery Shack sitting peacefully in the morning sun. 

“Thank you so much Will!” Dipper gasped and threw his arms around Will in a quick embrace before disengaging and running back toward his family.

Bill was taken aback for a moment, then shouted after the boy. “Don’t forget, you owe me!” He said, wondering if it was a stroke of luck or simply childish ignorance that made Dipper not realize he had never told Bill where he lived.  
. . . . . . 

“Dipper!” 

Mabel’s shout drew Stan’s attention away from the police officers standing in his home. He pushed himself out of his chair and ran to the now open door. Mabel ran and tackled her brother into a hug. The boy stumbled slightly and fell backward onto his rear, a look of surprise plastering itself over him. 

“Uh.. Hi Mabel” Dipper said, hesitantly patting her back. Mabel pulled away and looked at her brother’s face, tears streaming down her own. 

“Dipper, h-how could you just disappear like that? I was so worried! Grunkle Stan called the cops, and you know how much he hates cops.” She glared at him through tearstained eyes. 

Dipper looked guilty. He nervously glanced up at his Grunkle Stan only to meet a cold and upset stare. 

Stanley waved the police away, apologizing for the inconvenience and approached the twins now sitting on the dirt in front of the shack.

“Where the hell were you?” Stan growled. His hands shook slightly with suppressed emotion. Dipper stuttered, attempting to come up with an explanation. 

Stan help up a hand. “You know what? No. I don’t want to hear it. You’re grounded. Go to your room”

Dipper rose to his feet, jaw clenched angrily. 

“You won’t even let me explain myself?” He demanded, rising to his feet. 

“Room. Now.” Stan growled. “I’ll think of a sufficient punishment.” 

Dipper pushed his sister away and stomped his way to the attic, slamming doors behind him.

Stan looked after the boy and sighed, running his hand over his face. 

“I’m worried about that kid.” he said to no one in particular.

Mabel nodded in agreement and held her Grunkle’s hand. 

 

Dipper didn’t look up from the journal when he heard Mabel walk into their room. Even as the mattress next to him bowed under her weight as she sat next to him. 

“Bro bro?” She asked gently, placing a hand on his arm. Dipper leaned away from her touch, nose still buried in his book. 

“Dipper talk to me.” She begged. “Where were you? Why won’t you tell me? We never hide anything from eachother.” 

Dipper finally peered over the edge of the journal, his eyes met with teary green ones. Dipper frowned, his eyebrows knit together in concern. He lowered the journal and stared at his knees. 

“I was just in the woods. I… made a friend, and we got lost.” He said softly. 

Mabel’s face immediately brightened. 

“Dip Dop, that’s great!” She squeaked, bouncing on his bed. “I mean, it’s bad that you got lost in the woods, that’s scary, but why didn’t you tell me you made a friend!?” She dove against him, her arms wrapping around him in a hug, still squealing happily.

Dipper frowned and pushed his sister away.

After seeing the hurt on her face, he forced a smile. 

"Sorry, I think I sat in some poison ivy, so I don’t want a hug, but yeah. It's great." he said, trying to ignore the laughter of Mabel and her friends echoing in his head. He wanted to believe that she was really happy for him but... It felt like she just wanted him out of the way. There's no brother to get in the way of hanging out with your friends if he's off with his own friend after all.


End file.
